Self-Awareness and Help Them in Their Efforts Toward Self-Development

November - December 2006 | Volume 19 | Issue 6

Articles

8 Religion: The Missing Dimension in Mission Planning Understanding religious implications on the battlefield allows ARSOF to integrate a new religious-factors analysis into the IPB process so that religious factors become actionable elements of the mission plan.

16 Defeating the Idea: Unconventional Warfare in the Southern Philippines The JSOTF-Philippines battles terrorism in the Philippines through the use of unconventional capabilities to win the peace.

23 Self Awareness: Getting the Ground Truth from Evaluators 8 SWCS uses peer evaluations to provide feedback on Soldiers’ strengths and weaknesses to provide perspective that can be used to develop self-awareness and self-development activities.

27 Sustaining the Special Forces Soldier 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group leaders share lessons learned from multiple rotations to develop the operational, training and support require- ments for sustaining a force both on and off the battlefield.

Departments 4 From the Commandant 5 Update

31 Sergeant Major Sound-off ON THE COVER A Special Forces Career Notes Soldier conducts 32 a foreign internal defense mission with 34 Book Reviews Philippine soldiers. Special Warfare Commander & Commandant Major General James W. Parker

Editor Jerry D. Steelman

Associate Editor Janice Burton

Graphics & Design Jennifer Martin

Webmaster Eva Herrera

Special Warfare is an authorized, official bimonthly publication of the United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, Fort Bragg, N.C. Its mission is to promote the professional development of special-operations forces by providing a forum for the ex- amination of established doctrine and new ideas. Views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect official Army position. This publication does not supersede any information presented in other official Army publications. Articles, photos, artwork and letters are invited and should be addressed to Editor, Special Warfare, USAJFK- SWCS, Fort Bragg, NC 28310. Telephone: DSN 239- 5703, commercial (910) 432-5703, fax 432-6950 or send e-mail to [email protected]. Special Warfare reserves the right to edit all material. Published works may be reprinted, except where copy- righted, provided credit is given to Special Warfare and the authors. Official distribution is limited to active and reserve special-operations units. Individuals desiring private sub- scriptions should forward their requests to: Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washing- ton, D.C. 20402. Special Warfare is also available on the USASOC internal Web (https:asociweb.soc.mil/swcs/ dotd/swmag/index.htm). By order of the Secretary of the Army: Peter J. Schoomaker General, United States Army Chief of Staff Official:

Joyce E. Morrow Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army 0625702 16 Headquarters, Department of the Army Probably in no realm of military activity is the human element as important as it is in special operations, and this issue of Special Warfare illustrates various facets of that importance. Command Sergeant Major William Eckert’s article shows how the activities of the Joint Special Operations Task Force- Philippines, or JSOTF-P, are designed to improve the lives of the populace in JSOTF-P’s area of operations. The article clearly shows the relationship between the task force’s pro- grams and JSOTF-P’s success in reducing popular support for terrorists and insurgents. Chaplain Timothy Bedsole’s article on the need to appreci- ate and assess the religious aspects of our operations shows that even operations not targeted at the population need to be planned with an appreciation for the way they will affect and will be perceived by the people. One of the most important determinants of the people’s perception may be their religion, and he offers ideas for evaluating the ways our actions may be perceived. From the viewpoint of military leaders, one of the most important aspects of the human element is the Soldiers they lead. Based on their experience in multiple rotations overseas, Lieutenant Colonel Donald C. Bolduc and Command Sergeant Major Thomas W. Hedges Jr. of the 1st Battalion, 3rd SF Group, write about dealing with the effects of continual deployments upon their Soldiers. By sharing their techniques and lessons learned, they can help other units sustain effective operations and maintain their warriors’ edge. As trainers, we must focus on the Soldiers we train and on teaching them to work with others. In the article on peer evaluations, Meredith Cracraft, Dr. Michelle Wisecarver and Lieutenant Colonels Mark Baggett and Tom Miller show how peer evaluations are useful and how they are used in our training at SWCS. By conducting peer assessments and making Soldiers aware of their peers’ assessments of their strengths and weaknesses, we can build their self-awareness and help them in their efforts toward self-development. Including religion in our doctrinal products, broadening language training and improving the cultural education of our Soldiers are all part of the changes we are making to support ARSOF operations in the Global War on Terrorism. During the last two years, we have made the most significant changes to Special Forces training in recent history, and now we are in the process of transforming our PSYOP and CA training, as well. In producing adaptable Soldiers, we must be adaptable trainers. Our foremost concern for the human element must be the Soldier whose success and whose life may depend upon the value of our training.

Major General James W. Parker

Special Warfare U P D A T E

SF Soldiers awarded Silver Stars for Valor USASOC Public Affairs Office Thirty-one Soldiers from the 3rd Special Forces Group were decorated in a Fort Bragg ceremony Aug. 8 with honors that included three Silver Star Medals for valorous actions during Operation Enduring Freedom. The three Silver Star Medal recipients were Master Sergeant Keith Logs- don, Sergeant First Class Bruce Holmes and Staff Sergeant Matthew Keefe. The Silver Star Medal is the Army’s third highest award for combat valor and is presented to Soldiers distin- guished by their gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States during military operations. Silver Star Staff Sergeant Matthew Keefe receives the Silver Star Medal from Major General Major General Thomas R. Csrnko, Thomas R. Csrnko during the Aug. 8 ceremony. Photo courtesy USASOC PAO. commanding general, U.S. Army Spe- cial Forces Command, presided over Commendation Medal for Valor. Sergeant First Class Jerry Hochst- the ceremony and awarded the medals Receiving the Bronze Star Medal edler, Master Sergeant Rob Latham, to each honoree. with “V” device were Captain Mir Sergeant First Class Troy A. Lettieri, “Today we acknowledge valor and Ali, Captain Christopher Augustine, Staff Sergeant Donald C. Maguin, sacrifice of individuals who displayed Sergeant Jonathon Bennett, Sergeant Staff Sergeant Richard Moore, Staff a level of bravery and courage in Richard J. Concepcion, Chief War- Sergeant James Parsons, Master Ser- combat beyond the call of duty and rant Officer Bobby Craig, Sergeant geant Brian E. Penrod, Sergeant First who epitomize quiet professionals,” First Class Euclid Cruz, Chief War- Class Mario A. Ramirez, Sergeant First said Csrnko. rant Officer Bruce Defeyter, Sergeant Class Jared B. Reesor, Sergeant First In addition to the Silver Star Med- Trent Garner, Captain Roger Gavriluk, Class Robert Thibeault, Sergeant First al, 3rd Special Forces Group Soldiers Sergeant First Class Donald Gram- Class Robert Vires, Master Sergeant received the Bronze Star Medal for busch, Sergeant First Class Charles Ricky Wigent and Sergeant First Class Valor, the Purple Heart and the Army Green, Master Sergeant Van E. Hines, Shaun Womack.

New SWCS branch to capture operational trends The JFK Special Warfare Center historical sources, according to the branch to integrate them into their products. “Our and School has formed a new branch chief, Cameron Barr. Those sources will goal is to facilitate positive changes in to analyze trends resulting from Army include the Center for Army Lessons doctrine and training to enable ARSOF special-operations missions and training Learned, the U.S. Special Operations Soldiers to achieve higher levels of surviv- and incorporate them into SWCS training Command, the U.S. Army Special Opera- ability and combat performance,” Barr said. and doctrine products. tions Command and the Special Opera- For additional information, contact the As part of the SWCS Directorate of tions Command of Joint Forces Command. Trends Analysis Branch at DSN 236-1348, Training and Doctrine’s Joint and Army The branch will provide lessons, obser- commercial (910) 396-1348, or send Doctrine Integration Division, the new vations and insights from its analysis and e-mail to [email protected] (NIPRNet) Trends Analysis Branch will collect and make recommendations to Army special- or [email protected] analyze data from a variety of current and operations trainers and doctrine writers (SIPRNet).

November-December 2006 U P D A T E

Irizarry assumes command of 95th CA Brigade

Colonel Ferdinand Irizarry II assumed command of the 95th Civil Affairs Brigade in a ceremony on Fort Bragg’s Meadows Memorial Field Aug. 17. Presiding over the ceremony was Lieutenant General Robert Wagner, commanding general, U.S. Army Special Operations Command. The assumption-of-command ceremony marked a new milestone in the brigade’s history. “Rarely do you get to stand in a place where history is being made, and that is exactly what is happening here today,” said Wagner. The 95th CA Brigade assumed provisional brigade status in March and will remain in carrier status until March 2007. It was originally constituted as the 95th Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, Military Government Group, on Aug. 25, 1945. Since then, the brigade has undergone a series of inactivations, reactivations and deactivations. Displaying the colors Colonel Ferdinand Irizarry and Com- mand Sergeant Major Timothy Strong, both of the 95th Civil Affairs Irizarry was formerly the G3 of the U.S. Army Civil Af- Brigade, uncase the unit’s provisional colors in an assumption of com- fairs and Psychological Operations Command. According mand ceremony Aug. 17 at Fort Bragg. USASOC PAO. to Wagner, Irizarry is now in charge of a fighting force that has consistently been deployed. Wagner explained that 30 the responsibilities of command sergeant major. to 50 percent of the Soldiers were deployed throughout the During the ceremony, Irizarry and Strong uncased the entire year of 2005. Currently, the brigade is deployed to unit’s provisional colors for the first time. The uncasing of five continents in support of the Global War on Terrorism this brigade’s colors happened 61 years after the brigade’s and many other missions. original activation and almost 32 years after it was deacti- “The current reality of the world is such that your skills vated. The colors are identical to the colors of the 95th Civil and unique capabilities are heavily in demand throughout Affairs Group, which were cased Dec. 18, 1974, in a deac- the world,” Wagner said to the Soldiers of the 95th. tivation ceremony at Fort Bragg. Relative to colors of other “Since the early 90s, Civil Affairs have been what we fighting forces, the 95th CA Brigade colors depict not only called the high-demand, low-density force. The demand the heritage and history of the brigade but also its loyalty of exceeded the inventory.” its Soldiers. In addition to Irizarry assuming command, Command The 95th CA Brigade is the only active-duty Civil Affairs Sergeant Major Timothy Strong was officially appointed to brigade in the Army.

USAJFKSWCS honors top instructors The United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center The schoolhouse has more than 600 instructors, and choosing and School honored five instructors in a ceremony held Sept. 26. one in each of the four categories is not an easy task, according to Major Thomas Stamp Jr. was recognized as the 2006 Officer Dr. Rebecca Campbell, director of the Department of Education. Instructor of the Year, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Patrick Mitchell as “Our instructors are some of the best in the business,” she said. the Warrant Officer Instructor of the Year, Sergeant First Class Eric That quality was evident during a special presentation made to Strumski as the NCO Instructor of the Year and Andrew Borsz as the Sergeant First Class Keith Gates, another SWCS Soldier, who was Civilian Instructor of the Year. selected earlier this year as the top Army instructor by the U.S. Army Strumski, who teaches at the SWCS NCO Academy, says there Training and Doctrine Command, or TRADOC. is a sense of urgency among all SWCS instructors because they Gates, the SWCS 2005 NCO Instructor of the Year, competed know the Soldiers they are training are likely to be deployed soon against 30 other nominees from schools and training centers across after leaving SWCS. “It’s real easy to keep the material fresh, and I the Army to win the top-instructor designation. try to take their (the Soldiers’) experiences and tie it in to the train- During the ceremony, Major General James W. Parker, the ing,” he said. SWCS commanding general, presented Gates with a Meritorious Stamp, who was a Psychological Operations instructor when he Service Medal, as well as a plaque and a letter from TRADOC. was nominated for the award, is now the company commander for all Gates, who now works in the operations office at the NCO Acad- entry-level Soldiers in PSYOP training. emy, says the recognition is not a sign of his personal achievement. “I try and plug in with current operations and use that information “Every one of the instructors who are my peers could be in my place to keep things current,” he said. right now,” Gates said. Mitchell teaches advanced special-operations techniques, and Working in classroom and field environments, the civilian and mili- Borsz teaches negotiation and mediation to all ARSOF Soldiers. tary instructors of SWCS train more than 7,500 students each year.

Special Warfare U P D A T E

Special Forces Soldiers honor their heritage

U.S. Army Special Forces Soldiers paid tribute to more than 80 surviving veterans of the First Special Service Force, or FSSF, a World War II special-operations unit to which they trace their lineage, during that unit’s 60th reunion Aug. 17-19 in Helena, Mont. The FSSF, a unique combined force of Americans and Canadians, was activated in July 1942 at Fort William Henry Harrison and saw heavy fighting in Italy and southern France before its deactivation in December 1944. With representatives from all seven Paying respects First Special Service Force Soldiers pass by their successors as they U.S. Army Special Forces groups and march into a memorial service held in their honor at Memorial Park, Helena, Mont. Aug. 19. the U.S. Army Special Forces Command Photo by Gillian M. Albro, U.S. Army Special Operations command. present, the Green Berets — joined by their Canadian Special Forces colleagues FSSF, the Frederick Award is presented to Capping the evening’s events was an — provided interpretive equipment displays both an American and a Canadian Special announcement from Major General Thomas and parachute jump demonstrations, and Forces Soldier in recognition of outstanding Csrnko, commanding general of the U.S. they participated in all FSSF remembrance contributions to their military units and local Army Special Forces Command, that the activities during the three-day reunion. communities. Department of the Army had approved the The reunion’s two main remembrance First Sergeant Daren Drudy of the 5th awarding of the Bronze Star Medal to the events: a memorial service and a military Special Forces Group, Fort Campbell, Ky., and Canadian members of the FSSF. Only the tattoo, were held Aug. 18. During the memorial Canadian army Sergeant Gary Grant, a seven- American FSSF veterans had previously been service at Helena’s Memorial Park, hundreds year veteran of Canadian special-operations eligible to receive the award. gathered to pay respects to the members of forces, were named the recipients of the At last year’s reunion, held in Calgary, the FSSF, living and dead. Wreaths were placed Frederick Award. Alberta, the Canadians were presented with at a stone memorial with an encased FSSF “How humbling it is to be associated with the U.S. Army’s Combat Infantryman Badge flag, while silent prayers were offered during a the First Special Service Force, and to have in recognition of their hard-won contributions bagpipe rendition of “Amazing Grace.” your name mentioned in the same sentence to the Force’s fight. Later, at Fort Harrison, the tattoo included as General Frederick,” Drudy said. “The true Thomas Phillips, 84, of Fairmount, a number of re-enactments and musical blessing in receiving this award was the fact Ga., was with the Force from its early performances dedicated to the FSSF, including that I got to come here and see, to rub elbows days in Helena and participated in all unit those of Canadian and American pipe-and- with, the men … who served with the First deployments, from the Aleutian Islands in drum marching bands. A crowd favorite was a Special Service Force.” 1943 to action in southern France in 1944. demonstration of military free-fall parachuting Later, three shell casings and a piece of When Phillips spoke of a fallen comrade by a U.S. Special Forces team, which landed stone from the cliffs of Monte la Difensa, the killed during combat in Italy, his words em- on the post’s parade field. site of the Force’s first battle in the Italian bodied the bittersweet emotions that perme- At a banquet held Aug. 19 in honor of the theater, were presented by an Italian delegation ated the reunion: “It brings tears to my eyes Force, hundreds of people — Force veterans, as a gift to the FSSF Association for its famed to think of what we accomplished — and their families and friends — gathered with defeat of Nazi troops there in December 1943. what we lost.” present-day Soldiers to honor fallen comrades, The items were accepted by Major General Csrnko said the spirit of the First Special recall the unit’s history and recognize the Randall D. Mosley, Montana’s adjutant general, Service Force will continue to live on through legacy of modern Special Forces units on behalf of the association; the artifacts will the U.S. Army Special Forces Soldiers of spawned by the Force’s creation. be displayed at Fort Harrison’s museum. today. During the banquet, the winners of the The events at Monte la Difensa were “We followed in their footsteps, so the First Special Service Force Association’s famously profiled in a 1966 book and a legacy that we are born from is a mantle we annual Frederick Award were announced. 1968 film, both titled The Devil’s Brigade, a have to hold high and maintain,” he said. “We Named for Major General Robert T. Frederick, nickname the Force had earned because of its will continue to uphold the standards that the decorated first commander of the fierce and unconventional fighting style. they set.”

November-December 2006 Religion: The Missing Dimension in Mission Planning By Chaplain (Major) Timothy K. Bedsole

Since 9/11, United States Army special-operations • Religion offers an ideology — or a platform for a politi- forces, or ARSOF, have been at the forefront of the Global cal ideology — that resonates stronger than other forms War on Terrorism, or GWOT. As a result of SOF expertise of propaganda. in military operations ranging from counterinsurgency to • Religious leaders are often the last leaders left when nation-building, they are recognized as one of the great- states fail, and they offer a voice to the disempowered est force multipliers in the U.S. military arsenal. or oppressed. One of the foundations of ARSOF’s expertise is their • Religious leaders are often the first to seek peace and ability to incorporate cultural intelligence into their op- reconciliation after conflict. erations. Since 9/11, a growing awareness of the role of • Religious factors are fundamental to conflict resolution religious identity has caused our nation’s leaders to focus and conflict management. increasingly on the importance of religious ideology. The • Religious nongovernmental organizations supply a ma- recent “long war brief” addresses the need to counter the jor portion of support to humanitarian efforts in mili- religious ideology of extremist Islamic groups. Doing so tary missions.1 will require not only a deeper understanding of religion’s Given the nature of SOF missions, understanding reli- effects upon society than is currently provided by intel- gious factors is critical to predicting the human response ligence analyses and products, but also an increased em- to ARSOF operations. One definition of religion is “the phasis on including religious factors in mission planning. human response to the perceived sacred.” As a human The changing dynamics of conflict are driving a pro- response, it can be negative or positive. Understanding found change in ARSOF operations. Finding the center of the positive and negative aspects is critical to explain- gravity of the conflict may require translating unfamiliar ing the human response. Trying to win the hearts and religious traditions into mission factors. Religion, in the minds of local populations without understanding their form of nonstate actors, faith-based transnational net- souls deprives our efforts of one of the greatest avenues works, polygonal insurgency operations and transcendent of approach. Combatting religious insurgents without ideology, challenges the power of secular organizations. understanding religious factors limits ARSOF’s abilities. The answer to overcoming those challenges is not to While we are not engaged in a religious war, we must exclude religion from planning but rather to increase our understand religious factors if we are to gain a clear view understanding of religious factors. of the battlefield. ARSOF need to examine the application of religious Religion has shaped every conflict of the past, and factors to mission planning and develop a synchronized there are indicators that its influence will only grow. For process within intelligence preparation of the battlefield, this reason alone, ARSOF Soldiers must seek to under- or IPB. There is a need to integrate a new religious- stand the impact that religious factors have on their factors analysis, or RFA, into the IPB process so that missions, and they must learn to leverage those factors. religious factors become actionable elements of the Sometimes the impediment to understanding is not the mission plan. lack of tools for analysis but rather the failure to apply them. The mission of each ARSOF unit calls for a differ- Why religion matters ent emphasis in religious analysis, but a good beginning In the movie “Flight 93,” there is a poignant scene step is to examine why we need to emphasize religious showing the terrorists of 9/11 lifting up prayers for the factors. If we do not know why religion is important to a success of their mission, while the passengers are ask- culture, we may fail to interpret the culture’s responses ing God for strength to survive the terror. It is a mov- to our military actions. To begin an analysis of religious ing moment that illustrates the complexity of religion: It factors, we must first look within ourselves. motivates some to kill, and it gives others strength, but for both groups, religion speaks to the deeper meaning Religious implications of today’s missions of life. Given religion’s complexity and power, it is im- In 1996, the unit to which the author was assigned as perative that we understand the way it shapes modern a chaplain entered Gradačac, Bosnia and Herzegovina, to warfare and the modern battlefield. begin the mission of the international peacekeeping force. There are several reasons for religion’s ability to shape As a force-protection measure, my commander sent me to the battlefield: meet the town’s religious leaders. After returning from a • Religion answers the big questions in life, death and meeting with the local imam, I relayed a message to our war. It is germane to all conflict. controlling unit that the imam would like to meet with • Religion adds a higher intensity, severity, brutality and someone from the military to discuss issues in the town. lethality to conflict than do other factors. I will never forget the unit S2’s reaction: “Chaplain, what • Religion offers a stronger identity to participants in has God got to do with this mess?” Taking a typical secu- conflicts than other forms of identity, such as national- lar approach,2 he failed to see any military importance ity, ethnicity, politics or language. in meeting with a local religious leader. He suffered from • Religion can motivate the masses quickly and cheaply, “secular myopia” and could not see the religious factors and it often remains outside the view of nation-state in the mission.3 He dismissed the action as unnecessary, security forces. completely discounting the fact that five religions — Ro-

November-December 2006 Religion: The Missing dimension in mission planning

man Catholicism, Islam, the Serbian Orthodox church, peacefully and gives people a higher motive for selfless Judaism and Protestantism — shaped the conflict.4 service.7 Presidents of the United States have understood Now, 10 years later, when some SOF Soldiers are religion’s power to reassure our nation in difficult times. asked about religion, a common response is, “We don’t do Soldiers who have dealt with mass movements or riots religion … it is too dangerous to work with, so we leave it started by a religious leader or a religious ritual under- alone.” Thankfully, this view is changing with a renewed stand the power of religion to shape the mission. interest in cultural intelligence, but we must be careful Normally, the American Soldier thinks in terms of pro- to look at the total picture in our mission analysis. If we viding security through strength and firepower — bring- fail to consider the dynamics of religion in a culture, we ing religion into the formula requires a deeper under- limit our intelligence and allow religion to remain a secret standing of the linkage. Osama bin Laden understands code of motivating messages and symbols that will con- the link and has exploited it. His fatwas, or religious found our analysis and hamper our understanding of the edicts, against the American presence in Saudi Arabia enemy’s center of gravity. Framing the GWOT in religious and his inclusion of the United States into the classifica- ideology, symbols and terms, Osama bin Laden has lifted tion of infidels plays to a populace of the disempowered the fight into the spiritual realm, giving him a power lack- and provides them the promise of security through a reli- ing to secular insurgents and terrorists. gious hope. He has linked religious and political ideology with psychological finesse. Re-education process How does the SOF Soldier counter this exploitation The Western education system embraces the idea of of religion for ideological and political purposes? By the separation of church and state. That separation often understanding how religion interacts with society and results in a minimalist view of religious factors, and in exploiting the weakness of bin Laden’s ideology through military operations, that view can prevent an accurate unconventional countermeasures and tactical diplomacy. area analysis. Khaled Abou El Fadl, in his book, The Great Theft, states, When one considers that the Western view is shared “[N]othing helps the puritans’ cause as much as Western by less than one-sixth of the world’s population and is ignorance, prejudice and hate.”8 Promoting a deeper a concept foreign to the indigenous populations in most understanding of religion and political security gives the of today’s areas of operations, the possibility of error in American Soldier a countermeasure for use against those analysis increases.5 To prevent errors from occurring who believe we are spreading Americanization — also and to increase the understanding of religious factors in labeled as globalization or Westoxification — to other mission planning, we must develop a new understanding parts of the world. Leveraging this understanding could of the basic religious worldview. Such an understanding help us find innovative approaches for helping indigenous must link transcendent values with temporal actions. people retain their group identity while working with To increase their understanding of religious factors, SOF. It would also help us rob a religiously motivated Soldiers must develop a view of religion that erases the insurgency of its ability to use ideology to promote separation between private religion and public actions. insecurity and to alienate the indigenous population. This does not mean that the Soldier must convert to a An example of the effective use of religion in a mili- particular religious view, but he must seek to understand tary mission comes from Afghanistan, where the 1st religion if he is to leverage it in mission planning. Soldiers Battalion, 19th SF Group, used money from the Com- don’t have to “do” religion, but if we don’t “get” religion, mander’s Emergency Response Program to refurbish we will miss a tremendous opportunity to use the center several mosques in the Konar Province. Refurbishing the of gravity in many conflicts. mosques countered the messages of al-Qaeda and the Taliban that the Americans hated Islam. It was a psycho- Religion and politics logical action that had deep resonance with the popula- A quick study of the link between international politics tion.9 As the members of the local population observed and religion would help to improve our understanding the American-funded effort, they developed a trust for the of religion. Providing security is a major goal of political units throughout the area.10 powers. As Barry Rubin, professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, states: Why religion is missing In many areas of the world, religion should be seen as a In an age when we are seeking cultural intelligence in central political pillar maintaining the power of any ruler — a order to understand the indigenous society and the in- major pole in determining the people’s loyalty — and as a surgent ideology, we seem to minimalize one of the most key ingredient in determining a nation’s stability or instabil- important factors of life — religion. This missing — or ity. … [R]eligion plays a key role as an important defining minimalized — dimension of mission analysis could ex- characteristic of politically contending communities.6 tract a high cost for the U.S. and limits our ability to pre- For many societies, religion is the richest form of dict future reactions. As Thomas Friedman says, “While public motivation. It allows unrelated groups to coexist we were celebrating 11/9 [the fall of the Berlin Wall], the

10 Special Warfare Restore faith Villagers of Zormat, Paktya Province, Afghanistan, gather around their newly restored mosque. The mosque was repaired by Afghan contractors using U.S. funds, which helped build trust between U.S. Soldiers and the local population. U.S. Army photo. seeds of another memorable date — 9/11 — were being understand how mass traumas affect groups. sown.”11 Internationally, we missed the impact of religion 3. Know religious traditions affected by the mission and on world politics. Strategists and futurists wrote religion anticipate the impact on religious life, religious insti- off as a declining factor in social life and missed the im- tutions and religious leaders. plications of a religious resurgence. 4. Know when religion or religious figures have There are several reasons for the minimalization of influenced social transformation in a positive religion in mission planning. First, religion is a complex sense and reinforce policy to continue the positive subject. There are no definitive templates for religion. Too transformation. often, we oversimplify the subject with a broad state- 5. Know the darkest expression of a religion’s or a ment that all religions are basically the same or that they culture’s interpersonal behavior patterns to anticipate share universal beliefs. Try the simple exercise of defining causes and counteractive measures. religion among a group of people. Each person will have a 6. Study the perceived and remembered traumas of a different definition. While an analysis of religion does not society from the religious interpretations and involve fit well within most analytical studies, it does not mean the religious community in healing the trauma. the complexity is incomprehensible. Marc Gopin offers 7. Bring all parties, no matter how violent or exclusive, several recommendations for government and nongovern- into interactions. This short-circuits the martyr com- mental agencies in performing religious analysis. Sum- plex. marized, these recommendations represent a good start 8. Isolate truly violent groups not by confrontation, for that analysis in military planning: which strengthens them, but by coopting; address the 1. Study the fears and resentments of religious world- grievances of the violent groups through cooperating views that oppose present civil societies and develop with religious leaders and organizations.12 policies that do not increase those fears. The consideration of any one of these recommenda- 2. Study causal chains that link religious violence to tions would aid the SOF Soldier in leveraging religion. both internal and external religious traditions and A second reason religion is minimalized in mission

November-December 2006 11 religion: the missing dimension in mission planning

rise and shine Iraqi soldiers at An Numanyah conduct early-morning prayers before sunrise during Ramadan. U.S. Army photo. planning is that it is often seen as irrelevant. The belief Too often, cultural briefs on religion are either that religion is a cover for other motivating factors causes limited to one practitioner of a faith or conducted by us to underestimate the connections between religious non-religiously oriented staff. Obtaining a broader view ideology and societal responses to military actions. This of religion’s influence on the mission should include belief still misses the point that even if an insurgent is the use of the unit chaplain. Although chaplains are misusing religious ideology to gain a political end, he is not subject-matter experts in world religions, they are nonetheless “thinking” religiously. Until we gain a better an internal resource that can aid the staff in exploring understanding of the religious factors, we will not defeat and bringing into focus the religious factors that might religiously motivated terror. Bullets will not defeat “spiri- affect mission planning. Chaplains provide the staff tual warriors,” and the more we react in purely secular with a religious perspective that can assist in exploring terms, the more we empower the religiously motivated the religious impacts on mission planning, and they insurgent. As Mark Juergensmeyer states, “When govern- provide a “theological” voice throughout the mission- ments abandon their own moral principles in respond- planning process. Their role as religious leaders and ing to terrorism, they inadvertently validate the religious military leaders, and their education in religious schools, activists’ most devastating critique of them: that secular uniquely position them to understand religion from an politics are devoid of morality.”13 “insider’s” view. A third reason for the minimalization of religion in One word of caution in this area is in order, however, mission planning is a limited cultural understanding as some chaplains